TAMPA, Fla. — The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Python Elimination Program slithered to a milestone this week, capturing its 5,000th Burmese python.
FWC and the South Florida Water Management District have worked together to remove Burmese pythons from the wild. They say this is important because the snakes are not native to Florida and they can harm the ecosystem in the Everglades.
"We can’t win the battle alone," FWC Commissioner Rodney Barreto said in a statement. "It’s one team, one mission. We need the support of these experienced python hunters as well as the partnership with the South Florida Water Management District and the ongoing support of Gov. Ron DeSantis."
FWC and SWFMD boost the efforts to capture Burmese pythons each year with the popular "Python Bowl." The 10-day event, held each year, brings hunters from across the country to South Florida with the goal of catching as many of the snakes as they can. Eighty pythons were caught and taken out of the Everglades during the 2020 Python Bowl.
It is illegal for anyone to release nonnative species such as Burmese pythons into the wild. FWC says owners who violate this law are responsible for most of the snakes that are harmful to the Everglades.
If you spot these types of snakes, you can report them directly to FWC by calling the Exotic Species Hotline at 888-IveGot1 (888-483-4681), visiting IveGot1.org or using the free IVEGOT1 app.
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